In simple terms, the French president emphasized that it is unreasonable to expect European farmers to adapt their methods, cease using certain products, and focus on quality farming while simultaneously exposing them to a deluge of imports. His comments were made during his extensive tour of South America, which includes stops in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. He is attending a G20 summit in Brazil, hosted by Luis Inácio Lula da Silva.

The EU-South American bloc trade deal, Mercosur, was a significant point of discussion for his trip. France has consistently opposed this massive trade agreement that could be finalized as early as next month. In response to his objections against the agreement, Macron stated that Milei expressed his dissatisfaction with both the deal and Mercosur’s functioning.

He further added that a deal is yet to be reached if there are still requests for enhancements from various parties. The French president is facing pressure to demonstrate his active advocacy for the interests of French farmers. This comes as farming unions plan a day of protests against the trade deal.

Despite these protests, blocking the deal would be challenging for France, given that negotiators have been working on it for over 20 years. Reports from POLITICO suggest that the EU and Mercosur nations are planning to wrap up their discussions in early December.

Nevertheless, the French president expressed faith that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen would consider France’s apprehensions. He stated that von der Leyen highly regards France’s opinion and that their shared goal is a fair deal, and they will continue to collaborate towards that end.